A city, in all its chaos and complexity, is a place teeming with structure and patterns. From the diurnal cycles of the city's populace, to the way certain types of businesses sometimes cluster together like jewelry shops in the diamond district or restaurant supply stores in Manhattan's Bowery, examples of structure in cities abound. Understanding and assimilating these urban patterns is not only an essential part of life and survival in a big city, it is perhaps the critical factor that drives success in urban planning, real-estate and business development, marketing, recommendations, public health, transportation, and other endeavors that aim to make sense of the city.
Traditionally online maps and other location-based services have been useful to help people locate points of interest and navigate from one point to another.